Lacey Pierce

Disney next-generation tale on Epsilon stage

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By Wendy Carson

For those of you who are not familiar with the Disney Descendants franchise, allow me to sum up: All of the classic Heroes and Villains now have teenage kids. All villains (including offspring) have been banished to the “Isle of the Lost” where magic doesn’t work and evil is the status quo. Everyone else lived in the “United States of Auradon.”

Epsilon Theatrical Company gives us a glimpse of these lands in “Disney Descendants: The Musical,” performed by an eager local cast of various ages.

Belle (Macie Barker) and the now-human Beast (Jim O’Connor) rule Auradon, and plan to crown their son Ben (Eliott King) as king in a grand coronation ceremony. The youth wishes to heal the rift between his people and those of the Isle, especially as there is now a second generation. In this spirit, he has invited four of the Villains’ kids to attend school in Auradon for a year.

Though there is pushback from both sides, the plans go through and Carlos (Gavin McMillin), son of Cruella DeVil (Mary McDonnel); Jay (Christian Parchman), son of Jafar (Rodney Sciba); Evie (Lacey Pierce), daughter of The Evil Queen from Snow White (Kellie Lawrence); and Mal (Phebie Heath) daughter of Maleficent (Sharon Livingston) arrive at school. The group has plans to steal the wand of the Fairy Godmother (Kate Ambrose) in order to permanently open a portal to the Isle so Maleficent can rule all of Auradon.

Also added to the mix are Doug (Tyrell Smith), the son of Dopey; Chad (Luke Wilson), the empty-headed son of Prince Charming; Jane (Greta Shambarger), daughter of the Fairy Godmother; and Audrey (Adriana Nicholson), daughter of Sleeping Beauty. Rounding out the cast are a few teachers and a huge ensemble of very talented youngsters keeping everything hip-hopping.

As the “bad” kids seek to exploit being good, the “good” kids find themselves acting on their dark side. While this plot may feel a bit predictable (watch for a twist, though), the songs are fun and the whole cast does an amazing job of keeping the show upbeat and enjoyable. Jayson Elliott directs. A couple of big shout-outs to wardrobe director Lawana Penrod who did a stand-out job bringing together a wild group of outlandish costumes that were absolutely perfect for each character, as well as Mary McDonnel and Macie Barker who worked together to give us some lively choreography that really sparkled.

This show is an excellent choice for younger children, so round up your kids and grandkids and head over to catch it or else you might feel “Rotten to the Core” for missing out. Performances are Friday through Sunday, April 17-19, at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E 29th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

IndyFringe: Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales

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This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Local youth ensemble Agape Theater Company goes with something more whimsical than their usual serious projects with “Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales,” a musical by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddux that presents familiar fairy tales as they would be told in the mountains of rural Virginia or North Carolina.

This show is also a little different for Agape as it highlights its younger performers, which enhances the innocent fun of the stories’ presentation. In this production, we get three tales you’ve heard before, but not quite like this:

In “Jack and the Wonder Bean,” directed by Brynn Hensley, crafty Jack (Rachel Majorins) climbs the beanstalk to encounter a huge Giantess (Anastasia Lucia, with puppet support by Nate and Jacob Osburn) and escapes back home to his Ma (Harmony Quinn), bringing goods including a magic Hen (Caroline Hildebrand) and enchanted Fiddle (Evangeline Hillebrand).

In the hoe-down song-and-dance number “The Sow and Her Three Pigs,” directed by Kiron Branine and Rebekah Barajas, narrators Ellie Barajas and Rachel Majorins tell of a Mama-pig (Laney Ballard) who worries what her offspring will do after she is gone. Martha (Nora Moster) and Mary (Joanna Barajas) go cheap on building materials, while Nancy (Eden Majorins) finds something even stronger than bricks. Here comes the Fox (Flannery Partain), hungry for bacon. The simple set includes a cloud-wagon for deceased piggies to sit on while awaiting their relatives’ fate, while most of the cast get involved in the do-si-dos (the dance, not the cookie).

Finally, we get the Cinderella variant, “Catskins,” directed by Grant Scott-Miller. An orphan girl (Lacey Pierce) finds a home with a Farmer (Aubri Cottrell) and his Wife (Harmony Quinn). When the Wife dies, the Farmer, embittered by grief, becomes abusive. The spirit of her adopted mother comes to Catskins’ aid with the help of a magic trunk, and the girl ends up a servant to a fine Lady (Anastasia Lucia) and her Daughter (Flannery Partain). It happens that in that land, a Rich Boy (Jacob Osburn) is holding fancy dances to find himself a bride. Our heroine is a bit crafty and doesn’t need talking mice to help her in this interesting version of the old tale.

The presentation is fun and entertaining, and the Giantess puppet is impressive. Remaining performances are 1:45 p.m. Saturday and 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27-28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.